These are the kind of toilets you find in most US public restrooms. The green part is the flusher. Shoo maybe you could show a picture of the type of toilet you are talking about. Since I will wash my hands right afterwards, I will use my hand to push the lever down.

This image shoes a toilet with an automatic sensor that flushes when you get up. They also have a button on the side or front in case the sensor doesn't work

I don't use my foot for either of these. Actually, for the first one, you can use your elbow if you flush while still sitting. I've done this before. But usually, I use my hand.

These are the kind of toilets you find in most US public restrooms. The green part is the flusher. Shoo maybe you could show a picture of the type of toilet you are talking about. Since I will wash my hands right afterwards, I will use my hand to push the lever down.

This image shoes a toilet with an automatic sensor that flushes when you get up. They also have a button on the side or front in case the sensor doesn't work

I use my foot to flush these types of toilets because if I bent over to use my hand, my face would be only a couple of feet away from the spray from a flushing toilet - if even just for a second.

Thank you for the photos. That makes a lot more sense than what I was envisioning. Many public toilets in Denmark have the flush handle up high on the wall behind the toilet - I was wondering how on earth people reached that with their foot!

I'd never even heard of people using their foot to flush rather than their hand before reading this board. I'd still always use my hand unless the handle is at floor level or close to it - I'm simply not able to lift up my foot very high due to a disability.

I never understood the overwhelming ICK factor in bathrooms. Why not flush with your hand? You're going to wash it anyway, and usually within 10 seconds! Just how much *damage* can a few germs do in 10 seconds?? The doors in my workplace all have those pads that you push for automatic door-opening. It seems that every woman I've seen gets a paper towel to touch that pad. Again, why? Has nobody noticed that those pads are hip-high? Just lean over a little, and voila, the door opens! But I use the door. The bathroom gets cleaned at least 3 times a day, including those handles. (Yes, I've seen them cleaned). As one of the perhaps THREE women who actually touches said handles, I figured they're cleaner than my desk anyway.

I never understood the overwhelming ICK factor in bathrooms. Why not flush with your hand? You're going to wash it anyway, and usually within 10 seconds! Just how much *damage* can a few germs do in 10 seconds?? The doors in my workplace all have those pads that you push for automatic door-opening. It seems that every woman I've seen gets a paper towel to touch that pad. Again, why? Has nobody noticed that those pads are hip-high? Just lean over a little, and voila, the door opens! But I use the door. The bathroom gets cleaned at least 3 times a day, including those handles. (Yes, I've seen them cleaned). As one of the perhaps THREE women who actually touches said handles, I figured they're cleaner than my desk anyway.

I also agree with LadyJane, just flush the danged thing with your hand! There is nothing worse then using the restroom- finding sprinkles on the seat and a shoe print on the flushing handle! After all, YOU are going to be washing your hands so what does it matter is someone else didn't?

Yes, some public restroom are dirty; but using your foot to flush is only making them worse. I can tolerate pretty much any facilities after traveling to India, Sri Lanka and even France...and have never got any sickness or disease from them.

Dorrie, how tall are you? Because the lever is at hand height between 32-42 inches off the ground. I don't understand how your face can be that close to the toilet when flushing it.

The type of toilet with the tubular metal side-handle (highlighted in green above) was always referred to as a "flushomatic" toilet when I lived in NYC. And many apartment buildings used them in private apts.

My mother was extremely adamant when I was growing up that those type toilets were meant to be flushed ONLY with the foot. Now I think back, she did look a sight in her heels and old-fashioned girdle, hiking up her skirt and balancing to flush. She and I are both very tall, and yes I would have to bend my head over the bowl to flush with my hand.

I also think it's icky to flush sitting down and get my bum splashed. I have to say, the idea "you're going to wash your hands in ten seconds" goes both ways. If you don't care about touching the handle because you're going to wash the germs off, why does it matter whether they're toilet germs or shoe germs?

For the sake of this thread, though I will try today using TP to hold the handle, and see how it goes.

That's why I always use my foot to flush the toilet and use a paper towel to open the bathroom door.

Excuse me, you use your foot - the foot that was walking around on the bathroom floor - on something most people touch with their hands? That is gross, inconsiderate and rude. You are making everyone that goes after you to unwittingly touch something that is now a lot grosser than it was before you used it.

If you feel that the flush lever is too gross to touch, then use a tissue or toilet paper. Not your foot.

Well, considering that most people have just wiped their private parts before THEY touch the lever, I don't think someone's foot is all that bad.

And everyone is SUPPOSED to immediately wash their hands, so any foot germs will go away along with the pee/poop germs, no?

That's why I always use my foot to flush the toilet and use a paper towel to open the bathroom door.

Excuse me, you use your foot - the foot that was walking around on the bathroom floor - on something most people touch with their hands? That is gross, inconsiderate and rude. You are making everyone that goes after you to unwittingly touch something that is now a lot grosser than it was before you used it.

If you feel that the flush lever is too gross to touch, then use a tissue or toilet paper. Not your foot.

Well, considering that most people have just wiped their private parts before THEY touch the lever, I don't think someone's foot is all that bad.

And everyone is SUPPOSED to immediately wash their hands, so any foot germs will go away along with the pee/poop germs, no?

Most people (around 90%, I believe) are right handed and will use their right hand to wipe themselves. Flush levers are normally installed on the left side of the toilet, which leads most people to automatically use their left hand. I find this an interesting little social manipulation.

That's why I always use my foot to flush the toilet and use a paper towel to open the bathroom door.

Excuse me, you use your foot - the foot that was walking around on the bathroom floor - on something most people touch with their hands? That is gross, inconsiderate and rude. You are making everyone that goes after you to unwittingly touch something that is now a lot grosser than it was before you used it.

If you feel that the flush lever is too gross to touch, then use a tissue or toilet paper. Not your foot.

Well, considering that most people have just wiped their private parts before THEY touch the lever, I don't think someone's foot is all that bad.

And everyone is SUPPOSED to immediately wash their hands, so any foot germs will go away along with the pee/poop germs, no?

Most people (around 90%, I believe) are right handed and will use their right hand to wipe themselves. Flush levers are normally installed on the left side of the toilet, which leads most people to automatically use their left hand. I find this an interesting little social manipulation.

This explains why I've always done it this way. I thought about it a few months ago, realized I was unconsciously using my non-wiping hand (I'm a righty), decided that was a good policy even if I'd been doing it by accident, and kept doing it. I guess the restroom design herded me into it!

And everyone is SUPPOSED to immediately wash their hands, so any foot germs will go away along with the pee/poop germs, no?

People don't always do what they are SUPPOSED to do.

Yeah, but if you do, then your hands will be clean at the end, regardless of what anyone else does or doesn't do.

My personal bathroom commandments are:

Don't be gross, especially in an attempt to avoid another's grossness. If you are accidentally gross, clean that stuff up. No one else should have to deal with your bodily excretions.Wash thy hands, and properly dispose of any papertowels in the trash. (see also, rule 1)

And everyone is SUPPOSED to immediately wash their hands, so any foot germs will go away along with the pee/poop germs, no?

People don't always do what they are SUPPOSED to do.

Yeah, but if you do, then your hands will be clean at the end, regardless of what anyone else does or doesn't do.

My personal bathroom commandments are:

Don't be gross, especially in an attempt to avoid another's grossness. If you are accidentally gross, clean that stuff up. No one else should have to deal with your bodily excretions.Wash thy hands, and properly dispose of any papertowels in the trash. (see also, rule 1)